The Lioness who Rides Astride
by LaurelynFaye
Summary: Tywin Lannister's "reward" for the sack of King's Landing is two-fold, his daughter as Queen, and his son dismissed from the kingsguard and returned to him as heir, on one condition. He must marry North. The Wardens of the West, forever bound to the Honorable North. She is the Kingslayer's Spawn, a lioness with the Iron spine of the North. A war will rage, and she will fight.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer; None of it's mine, never has been never will be, otherwise the Red Wedding would have _never_ happened. Never.

AN:/ This is a just an AU that sort of popped into my head. Jaime Lannister isn't an honorable man, or even a good one, but he seems like a good friend, and a good brother, and like, if he was allowed, he would be a loving father. What if Robert had done the sensible thing and dismissed the Kingslayer from his kingsguard? (Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are still Cersei and Jamie's children, he just isn't around as often). What if? Jaime would have been heir to Casterly Rock, he would have had to have children, but Robert couldn't let the Lannisters be bound to just any family. No, that wouldn't do at all.

So this first part is in tiny little vignettes, to set the scene. Chronological order.

Tywin Lannister's "reward" for the sack of King's Landing is two fold and simultaneously infuriates and placates Ned. Robert takes Cersei Lannister to wife and Queen, and removes Jaime Lannister from the Kingsguard at Tywin's request, so that he can return to his position as Heir of Casterly Rock, and the Wardenship of the West, on the condition that he weds Laraya Umber, the daughter of one of Ned's most loyal bannermen, Lord Umber, of Last Hearth, whom Robert had come to know during the rebellion. It was Robert's hope that the line of Lann the trickster would be mitigated by that of the shackle breakers. The Wicked Wardens of the West, forever bound to the Honorable North. Ned had pulled Laraya aside himself, she, his sister's oldest friend, was owed that much, and when she agreed to it for peace, he himself granted her a number of lands for dowry, to pass to any daughter's she might have. Sometimes he wondered if he had done the right thing, asking her to go south, to the man who had ordered the rape and murder of an innocent woman and her children all because of who her husband and their father was.

White wings, white words. Laraya Lannister, formerly of House Umber, has borne and birthed Jaime Lannister, Heir to Casterly Rock and the Wardenship of the West, a daughter, named Cerenna Lyanna Lannister, with Lannister Golden hair, and slate Gray Eyes of the Umber line. She was healthy, and named not two weeks past, for her father's beloved cousin, and her mother's late best friend. Might all her years be Summer and her heart never know Winter's Touch. Hear her Roar.

Black Wings, Black Words. Layara Lannister, formerly of House Umber, for whom his daughter Arya is named, has died, in childbirth. Twin boys. An heir and a Spare, as far as any could tell, they were identical. Her bones, at her request, are being sent back to Last Hearth. The boys names are Kevan, and Tyjon. They are Lannister of coloring. The girl is 9 years of age, 2 years younger than Robb. Winter is Coming.

Ned was once more in the Godswood, sitting before the godstree, when Catelyn approached him. She settled to the ground in front of him, reluctant to speak. He had been so burdened since Jon Arryn's death, and with Robert and his court coming, she had no wish to give him anymore news that would weigh further on his mind. And Layara Umber's fate had weighed heavily on Ned's mind for years. She had married the Kingslayer at his request, and he considered her death at least partially on his shoulders. Any talk of her would surely laden him further. Still.

"There was a raven from Casterly Rock" she paused before continuing "Jaime Lannister and his daughter will be travelling to Winterfell, with the rest of the Royal Court. The Girl wants to meet her mother's family."

Ned closed his eyes and sighed gently, heaving himself to his feet before offering her a hand up. "Well, my lady, it seems as though we have much to prepare for. Winter is coming." He said with a grim smile, and walked sword on hip, arm in arm with her, from the godswood. _

Jaime Lannister has been called many things throughout his lifetime, among them Kingslayer, Oathbreaker, Son, Brother, Heir, and once, long ago, husband. His favorite of his titles is Father. He is not a good man, nor an honorable one, but he likes to believe that he is, at least, a passable father, and he does loves his children. So is it any wonder that when his daughter comes to him, the very image of his mother, with the exception of her eyes, and pleads to go to Winterfell, with the royal court, in the hopes of meeting her mother's family, he says yes.

His darling daughter, who is by turns fierce as a lioness, with the iron spine of the North, and gentle as his mother, is at first vulnerable to the cruelties of the southron ladies around her, who are so, so very different from her. They are delicate creatures, more than able to sew and weave and dance, and well versed in the courtesies of court life. His girl is as vivid as the sunset sea, as strong, and as dangerous as the North her mother is from. Cleverer than all of those around her, and uncompromising. She learns from her Mother what it is to be of the North, of the cold and the Snow and of the old Gods. What strength there is in the Umber Giant is hers, and she rides as the highborn girls of the North do, astride. His Uncle Kevan teaches her to shoot a bow at eight, and he, himself teaches her to wield, and throw, a dagger at nine, when he finds her crying in the godswood at the Rock, after her mother dies.

It is not until she is 13 that he realizes that the girls of the Westerlands mock her, calling her the Feral Lion Cub, and other cruel monikers in abundance. It is his brother that teaches her how to respond to them with wit and venom. But It is his sister that turns his baby girl into a Lioness of the Rock.

He has often been at court, and it is only after he realizes that his children suffer for it that he brings them with him. He expects Cersei to hate his children, as she hated their mother. But Cersei sees their mother in Cerenna, and him in his sons, and that is enough to make her love them, and if it is not as much as she loves their children, well, he cannot fault her for that. Especially not when she takes Cerenna under her wing, and hones her intelligence to a razor sharp weapon, teaching her the ins and outs of court, especially not when she gives his little lioness claws.

Perhaps the most surprising is his father, who Cerenna adores, even from a babe. She will sit in his office for hours on end as he talks to his various stewards, and informers, and writes his correspondence. She is 15 before he realizes that she has not been idle in his father's office, when Lord Varys inclines his head to her and asks how her little birdies are, and she laughs. His father has not been idle either. He may favor Cerenna over his other grandchildren for her remarkable resemblance to his beloved wife, but that favor does not exempt her from his use of her, just as he uses all of his family.

Cerenna too has many names, the Lioness who rides Astride, The Heart of the West, the Golden Spyder, The Lady of Casterly Rock, The Old Lion's Weakness, The Golden Girl, The Kingslayer's Spawn, but Jaime knows that her favorite is his nickname for her, Cenna. So he sends one raven to Winterfell and one to last Hearth, and he and Cerenna join the court on the King's Road.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine Never Was.

AN:/ Okay this is sooner than I would typically update, but I spent most of my pre-cal class today writing it so… Also Cersei might seem slightly OOC, but she's a narcissist, she views Jaime children as an extension of him, and Jaime as an extension of herself so, they are to a certain extent an extension of her, in similar way that her children are extensions of herself. Also this becomes slightly more like the show, and we get our first interaction with Cerenna. A word to the wise, the first few chapters will be mostly focused on Cerenna, as the impact she, and her brothers have will be utterly massive over the course of the war, and I want to get her at least as fleshed out as the rest of the Lannisters. At the point where they leave Winterfell things will begin to focus a tad more on what's going on with everybody else, but this is the last one that will be entirely focused on her.

Catelyn Stark expected many things of Tywin Lannister's infamous granddaughter, rumors of whom had reached even this far north, through merchants, and roaming crows, and the smallfolk. She expected her to be as proud as her Aunt, the Golden Queen, whose legendary arrogance is said to grow by the year, as her beauty fades. She expected the infamous Lannister disregard for anything not of the West. She expects, at the very least, a proper Southron lady. To say that her expectations are _not _met would be a gross understatement.

After the King and his retinue have been greeted the Lannisters, resplendent in gold and red follow, and beside the Kingslayer rides his daughter. Cerenna Lannister is undoubtedly a beauty, but it is subsumed by, well...her. She rides her horse as a man does, in a dress hemmed short enough to display the riding pants and boots she wears, with the hilts of what appear to be _daggers_ sticking out. There is a quiver and bow slung over her saddle horn, both inlaid with gold. Instead of the condescendingly demure smile worn by Her Grace, the girl displays a fierce grin, more a baring of teeth than a smile, under sharply observant grey eyes, crowned by a braided coronet of gold. It is the eyes that fluster Cat.

Catelyn knew of course that the girl had inherited the Umber eyes from her mother. She had not expected her to have the GreatJon's soul stare. Men in the North whispered among themselves that with a single gaze the Lord of Last Hearth could tell a man's deepest secrets, and it appeared as though the trait had passed to his granddaughter.

After their brief introduction Catelyn's attention is drawn back to hosting her rather … maintenance intensive guests, but occasionally she will glimpse the girl out of the corner of her eye and wonder at how differently this mix of the North and South turned out from her own dear children.

When Tyrion surfaces for the feast he loiters outside for a time, and speaks to Ned Stark's bastard. But as all good things must, his reprieve soon ends, in the form of his oldest niece. She exits the rowdy hall, tugging her golden shawl, surely a gift from his sister, closer, and upon spotting him, makes her way in his direction, an uncomfortable expression upon her face.

She settles in beside him on the low stone wall with a wan smile. "Uncle"

Oh dear. She wanted to **talk**. Any serious talk with his niece would need to occur when he was not sober. He loved his niece, but thanks to his father, his sister, and her Northern blood, she could take herself entirely too seriously. When his only response is to hum Cenna lets the silence stretch for 10, then 20 marks, before she sighs quietly.

He closes his eyes, and tilts his head back. She is very good. "So tell me, Niece, what do you think of the land of your mother?" he asks, japing. He expects her to respond immediately, and sarcastically, as she typically would. When she doesn't he is startled, even more so when he turns, only to find her pretty grey eyes glistening with unshed tears. Where Jaime would panic and offer her jewels, and books, and weapons, where Cersei would pull her to her chest, muttering soothing nothings, and reminding her that lions don't cry, where his father would place a steady hand on her shoulder and wait for her to compose herself, Tyrion simply sits and waits. Finally she speaks.

"It shouldn't be possible, Uncle Tyrion!" She rages, voice quavering, "To feel as though you are home, truly home, home in a place you've never even been and … and _still_ feel like no one understands you. Like no one wants you." she breaks off with a hiccup, finally giving way to tears.

Oh. It was so easy to forget how young Cerenna was, and how isolated she'd been. Isolated by her family, by the actions of her father, and the orders of her grandfather during the sack, isolated by her mother's northern blood. Isolated by her own nature, which rebelled against the confines of expectations of women in the south. She had not faltered, not in the intrigues and challenges of court, or in the viper's den that was the West, not since the moment Cersei had taught her to stand strong. Because she had not wavered, even in the face of the most daunting challenges, it was easy to dismiss how damaging it must have been for her. How it must have torn her to shreds to sit in her solar at Casterly Rock, or in the Maidenvault at the Red Keep, and listen to lady after lady mock her subtly, claiming that she could not dance or sew or make polite conversation as well as they could because of her Northern blood. That that was what made her different.

"Oh, my Golden Girl" he murmured, reaching out to draw her to him as best he could, motioning to a Lannister soldier that passed by, whose eyes widened as he fairly sprinted for the hall. He would tell Jaime, who would come, hopefully bringing Cersei as well.

It was no wonder his niece nearly thought the sun rose and set on his sister. She was her only protection among the ladies of the court, and the only woman in her life that encouraged her to be the lioness she wished to be. Cersei had never had that opportunity, under their Aunt Genna's hand for most of her life, who had never allowed Cersei to truly become a lioness of the Rock. It had been among the most amusing moments of Tyrion's life when Aunt Genna, who was fussing over how unladylike Cerenna was, had been evicted from the Red Keep by the Kingsguard on Cersei's orders.

Now, however Cerenna would certainly need his sister, as her last hope of being accepted was destroyed by the disdain in Lady Stark's eyes, echoed in her elder daughter's moue of distaste, and their efforts to keep the youngest girl from her. In the judgment of yet another southron lady and her daughters' septa, where a sept should never have even have been built, his niece's shield had finally cracked. It risked sending her spiraling into another cycle of her moods, where she was despondent and dangerously frenetic by turns, when she had been rid of them for nearly a year now. Gods only knew how long this one might last.

Her face had been pressed to his shoulder, silent tears slipping down and soaking the cloth for only a few minutes when Cersei and Jaime came racing from a side door close to them, nearly stumbling they moved so quickly.

When they reached them Cersei pushed him aside, taking Cerenna into her arms, pressing her to her chest, just as he knew she would. What he had not expected was that Cersei would know what troubled their niece, which she evidently did, given the fact that she cursed the Starks and the North, and anyone who wasn't a Lannister.

"You're a Lioness, my sweet girl, and even the direwolf fears the pride" she murmurs, rocking her back and forth, as Jaime kneels behind her and strokes her hair. They promise that they can leave soon, and she doesn't ever need to see the North again, that they'll make it all better, a million promises, promises she knows they can't keep, but that sooth her anyway. Soon she has stopped crying, and Cersei takes her to the room she and Myrcella are sharing, still whispering little nothings to her.

After they have gone Jaime and Tyrion sit in silence for a time, their concern palpable in the air between them. They each wait for the other to speak first, and in the end, as always it is Jaime who breaks the quiet.

"I don't know that I will ever understand her" he sighs, shaking his head, "she's so strong, so often, and so clever, but then, she's so weak sometimes, and the Maesters say that her moods won't ever go away. I don't know what to do."

Tyrion considers his elder brother for a moment and merely shakes his head before turning away, heading for his rooms leaving his brother to contemplate his daughter.

Tyrion, for all he loves them, has no illusions about his family, not as so many of their lesser cousins and bannermen do. Cersei could be as cruel as fire, burning and ravaging all in her path, and she cared little for those not Lannister in name or blood, and even less for him. Jaime, for all his brother loved him, was callous to any he did not care for, and reckless on the best of days. If it had naught to do with their little family he was blind to it. He would be a terrible Lord of the Rock and Warden of the West, as he cared for little outside Cersei, Tyrion himself, his children, nieces and nephews, and cousins. The rest of the world could rot for all his brother cared. His father loved his children and grandchildren and family, but loved his legacy more, and would not hesitate to sacrifice them all for it. Joffrey was half-mad, and cruel with it, tormenting any in his power, including his siblings, and once, a pregnant cat. And Cerenna? Dear Cerenna was as clever as he, as ruthless as his father, absolutely convinced she knew best of them all, with an absolute surety that must have come from her mother, but Cerenna's most dangerous flaw was that she was afraid of people leaving her, as her mother had, so she clung tightly to anyone she considered hers, and she would go to almost any lengths to protect them.

Make no mistake though, his family had good in them. Cersei's redeeming quality was her love for her family, which bordered on an absolute devotion. Jaime was charming and generous. Tywin may have been willing to sacrifice his family's happiness for his legacy, but would have brought Westeros itself down around those who would harm them. Cerenna was quick to love; she considered many people to be hers and cared for all of them fiercely. The true issue lay in that those flaws and traits combined made for a volatile house, playing a dangerous game. The Game of Thrones.


	3. The lioness gets her shit together

a/n: I'm back! Thank you all for being so patient, I really appreciate it. This chapter, as promised, is from Cerenna's perspective. Points to whoever can identify what, exactly, Cerenna's moods are. Also, keep in mind that all Lannisters play the long game. Cerenna has plans. PLANS I TELL YOU PLANS.

Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. You know the shtick.

Cerenna was well aware that she was not a 'nice' person, by any stretch of the word. She could be kind and loyal and charming, when and if the notion struck her, but she could also be vicious and snide, and altogether unpleasant if she wished. The word her aunt often used to describe her was capricious, and it was not inaccurate. Cerenna was many things, but never nice. As her Grandfather was fond of saying, being nice made you weak. Lannisters should never be weak. So she did not begrudge the courtiers fear of her, it was well founded. However there was a difference between fear and disrespect. The fact that she wasn't _nice_ didn't excuse others being disdainful of her. She was a Lannister, the niece of the Queen, and the Lady of Casterly rock.

In sum, Cerenna was quite irritated with the Ladies Stark, and was contemplating it even as she sat quietly, enjoying her aunt's hands in her hair. With Myrcella in her lap, and her aunt braiding her hair she could not pace and fidget as she typically did when trying to puzzle out such an issue. It really was a shame, such a pleasant morning wasted on such contemplation. Cerenna had loved the simple pleasure of another person's hands in her hair since she was a child. First it had been her mother, then her 'Aunt' Lady Alerie Tyrell, while she fostered at Highgarden, and after the Queen had brought her into court her Aunt Cersei would take the time in the morning to do it, before she did it for Myrcella.

It had been the tradition of Westeros since long before the Targaryens, and perhaps even before the Andals, that a mother would do her unmarried daughter's hair. It was during this time that a mother spoke to her daughter about what it was to be a wife, a mother, and a lady. It was during this time, when, on the morning of a girl's first moon blood, that a girl was told of the beauty and mystery of the gift she had, how men might not respect it, but she always should. She was told of a man's passion, and what it meant to be bedded, of how it would hurt and bleed the first time, and, if she was unlucky, all the times after. She was told of how a child was worth any suffering, be it in the marriage bed, or the birthing bed.

When Cerenna's mother had died she had spent a year without a loved one to arrange her hair. The ache in the morning, when she sat in front of a ladies maid, who worked quickly, and without love or words, was nigh unbearable. Then she had been sent to foster at Highgarden, and once more discovered what it was to have her hair done with care, and affection, and best of all, gained a sister.

It was often said among men that when you fought together, fostered together, or shared milk from the same breast, you were brothers, but these bonds were broken as easily as cutting one's hair among men, all too often. They would fight together one moment, and against each other the next. But it was whispered among women that when the same hands braided your hair you were sisters in all but blood, sisters in soul, and that was a bond not easily broken, for the hands would braid your soul together, never to be parted. Cerenna spent 3 years with the Tyrells, and she had been distraught at the idea of being taken from them. She hadn't even been allowed to return to Casterly rock, as was her custom every two months, the flooded rivers stopping any notion of frivolous travel, so by the time she left for court she had not seen the Rock in 4 months.

Then she had arrived at Kingslanding, expecting to be once more berfeit of loving hands in her hair. It was not so. Her Aunt Cersei, who she had only met twice as a child, had declared that only her hands would touch her beloved niece's hair, and so it was. Though Cerenna split her time between the Rock and Kingslanding, with only 2 weeks in 5 spent in the Capitol, when she was away she did her own hair (except those rare times that Aunt Alerie did it), and it was her Aunt that sat behind her, brushing her hair and speaking in hushed tones when she had her first moonblood.

This was why she was truly a child of the North and the South despite what others might say. She had been born in the midst of Winter, with snow heavy on the ground, she worshipped her mother's gods, spoke her mother's tongue, learned to fight as her mother's people did, and respected the old ways, but she had been raised in the South, by the South. It was not always easy to be the child of two cultures so diametrically opposed to one another, but she was strong for it. Her Grandfather had always said that a hybrid either gained all the strengths of it's parents, or all the weaknesses. She had all the strengths. The issue lay in proving to the venerable Lady Stark that her children had gained all the weaknesses.

Still, she did enjoy the quiet moments, early in the morning. Soon Joffrey would be up, and with him the whole of the court, including her beloved uncle, and his degrading epithets. She would go from Cenna to the Kingslayer's spawn, and have to deal with the Ladies (and Lords, she supposed) Stark.

A knock sounded just as her Aunt finished with her hair, and called out "Enter!", tucking the last pin into her hair, and Cerenna shifted Myrcella off her lap. She was not surprised when Ser Edric of Crakehall entered the room. He was one of her sworn shields, and she had asked him to enquire, discreetly, about the dynamics of the household. The man was decent with a sword, but excellent at taking a few whispered rumors, some training yard talk, and a bit of flirting with a housemaid and turning it into a well informed picture of a household.

"My Lady" he rumbled "I've come to escort you to break your fast, if you please."

Cerenna gave him a brilliant smile. "Certainly, Ser Edric", she said, rising from her seat, kissing her cousin and aunt as she went to take his arm.

The door shut behind them with a bit of a bang, but Ser Edric remained as stoic as ever, yet another reason he made such an excellent vassal. The man's face was a blank slate, absolutely unreadable.

"I trust you are well this morn, My Lady?" he asked lowly, veiled concern in his voice and eyes, and he bent to kiss her cheek, as was his custom. Oh her lovely, somber Edric. He had been with her from the start of her fosterage, and seen her at the worst of her moods. The dark depths she descended to, and the frantic, energetic moods which often followed.

"I am fine, my dear Ser, I assure you. Now, tell me what you have learned. I am… most curious about Lady Stark's methods of running her household," she smiled wickedly, "after all, she is the wife of the Lord Paramount and Warden of the North. She surely knows the ways of my Mother's people."

"Aye, My Lady" he chuckled, "surely. From what I can tell the Lady runs Winterfell with no little economy, and a sternness that might match that of Lady Olenna. She has refused to allow her daughters to learn to fight, as is the typical way of the North. The eldest has taken it well, as delicate a flower as the most fragile Southron lady, but the youngest is fierce and has a wild temperament, they call it the wolfsblood. The younger lads are adventurous, and the youngest is just as wild as his sister, if not more so. The older boys of the house are… interesting. The Ward, the Heir and the Bastard son." He paused as they passed an errand boy, who rushed by with a basin of water.

"Well?" she demanded, impatiently, "What is so interesting?"

"The heir and the bastard are as close as any brothers, and the Stark lad is fond of the Greyjoy boy, but Snow and Greyjoy seem to clash with some frequency. In short, though they are fully grown, they are still boys, with the wild whims and passions of boys."

And she'd had such high hopes. Ah well, there were others who could play the game.

Ser Edric lowered his voice as he continued."All in all, my lady, it is a peaceful household. The Lord and Lady Stark have no small affection for each other, the siblings seem to genuinely care for one another, and the whole of the servants love the family. The bastard son seems the only source of tension in the keep." He continued speaking giving her specific details which she registered with one ear, as she began to think.

The babe Eddard had brought out of Dorne, after the Tower of Joy. The one her mother had thought might actually be… Ah, well that could be useful. Especially if he was so very passionate. It would make him easier to maneuver. Though, if he was who her mother had thought he might be, she owed him a debt. Varys would give his manhood again, twice over, for information like this. If she chose to take that path then it would need to be tread with care.

They arrived at the breakfast table to find the men of her family already arrayed around it, with the exception of the King, who, with any luck would be sleeping off all the Northern ale he'd consumed last night. Perhaps her father could be persuaded to excuse her from Lady Stark's solar, at least for this one day. It was bound to be deadly dull and Lady Catelyn would undoubtedly have an array of supremely irritating questions, and thinly veiled, poorly executed insults. Her mother's family would be arriving in half a sennight, and surely she could deal with 3 days of boredom, if only she didn't have to do so today.

"Cousins" she said, planting a kiss on Tommen's head, with a nod to Joff, who had outgrown forehead kisses some 6 months ago now, before plopping down between her father and uncle, pressing kisses to their cheeks. "Aunt Cersei will be down soon, she was doing Myrcella's hair when Ser Edric and I left" she said, cutting off her father as he opened his mouth. He grinned.

"You, my daughter, are insolent." He proclaimed laughing.

She smiled ruefully. "And you, my father are as predictable as the tides!" It was true. Her father was happy as long as he had his family and his sword, and you could be as sure of his actions as you were sure the sun would rise. Still, with that out of the way she could introduce the idea of absenting herself from the solar for the day. Perhaps she could go riding.

"So, cousin mine, will you be joining Lady Stark in her parlor today, with the other ladies of the court?" Joffrey inquired insipidly, with a vicious little smile. She loved her cousin, but he was a brat of, well, royal proportions. She gave him her brightest smile, the one her whole family knew meant that she would be paying her debts as soon as she could, and reached out to pinch his cheek- hard.

"Actually Joff, dearest, I was hoping My Lord Father might give me leave to absent myself today." She said turning to her father, "I would like to go riding today, and mayhaps visit Winterfell's godswood. I have been rather used to being out of doors so oft lately that I'm feeling a tad trapped within walls."

Her father shrugged, and nodded toward the door. "Ask your Aunt, sweetling, I don't care one way or the other."

"Ask me what, Jaime?" her aunt asked, as Ser Arys Oakheart handed her into her seat.

"Cerenna would like permission to absent herself from Lady Stark's solar today, dear sister" Tyrion answered instead, smirking as Cersei's eyes narrowed to slits. Damn, damn, double damn. She'd had a fair chance with her aunt, if she'd asked, but with her little Uncle advocating it her chances had just become almost nill. And from the twinkle in his eyes he knew it too. Very well, Uncle, mine, two could play at that game she thought viciously.

"I'd like to go riding, Aunt, maybe visit the Godswood. Though I'd planned to just take Ser Edric, perhaps the younger members of the Stark clan would like to escort Uncle Tyrion, Joff and I, and of course anyone else who wishes to go" she paused with a small smile. "It would get them out of the solar, where they would likely just be troublesome, and I'm sure Robb Stark wouldn't mind postponing his training to escort the heir to the Iron throne around the lands he will one day hold in Joff's name. After all it is important that Joff, as heir form bonds with his future Wardens." she exclaimed, "It's the perfect plan!"

Aunt Cersei relaxed some, and noting the displeased expression on Tyrion's face, smiled. A Lannister always pays her debts, it just so happens that this Lannister is especially swift about about it, which her Uncle and Cousin would do well to remember. And now for the finishing touch- "Also, I'm a little concerned that Joff would want to train with boys 3 and 4 years his elder. After all he might be hurt." she mused casually, a hint of worry in my voice. Her Aunt immediately frowned, and Cerenna knew she had her. Joff sputtered in protest, but it was too late.

"You are right, Cerenna, a ride sounds like an excellent idea. I will speak with Lady Stark about it immediately. There should be no confusion over the plans, that way." The Queen declared rising from her seat, and heading off to where Lady Stark was speaking with her Maester. Both Joff and Uncle Tyrion glared at her, and she smiled.

This was actually a better plan, she could see for herself the interaction between Robb Stark and Greyjoy, as well as expose Joff to some older boys who might temper that ego of his. Maybe if she was lucky, Jon Snow would come along too, and she could sow a little discord. If not there was always the training field. She was the Kingslayer's daughter as well as the child of a daughter of the North. She knew her way around most weapons, and was especially proficient with the dual short swords that were even now holstered along her leg and down into her boot beneath her dress, which like all of her dresses could be shortened to reveal the pants underneath, for ease of movement. That wasn't even accounting for the daggers and throwing knives she had tucked up her sleeves and down her bodice. The other boys, the nobles, would laugh when she asked to join, but Jon Snow could no more refuse her than he could stop the tides. And if what additional rumors Edric had passed along to her were true- well- she could go to her father and tell him, very loudly, of Snow's potential, and how she thought he might one day surpass all other swordsmen, other than her honored father, of course. It didn't need to be true, only plausible. And if Edric was right about Snow being the stress point, the household would splinter right down the center with the right application of pressure, giving her Aunt the opening she would need to interfere with Lord Stark's appointment as Hand of the King, cause Lady Stark a great deal of stress, and create an opportunity for Cerenna herself to observe Jon Snow, and decipher if he could be instead, Jon Targaryen, true heir to the Iron Throne, and if so, what ought to be done about it.

There was no question, Cerenna had quite a lot to do and only a little time in which to do. In which case- it was time to get started.


End file.
